A night to remember
by STIXandMANNY
Summary: After a night of heavy drinking that he can't quite recall, Dante learns the hard way that Nero isn't quite as honest and innocent as he makes out.


"Nnmm" Nero rolled onto his side folding his pillow over his ears in an attempt to block out the obnoxiously loud devil hunter who was making as much noise as possible on the floor below at some ungodly hour in the morning. He growled as the banging and crashing downstairs continued along with a rather long chain of cursing. "Damn it." He groaned as he forced his eyes open, It was to damn early for all this noise. Hell it couldn't possibly be even remotely close to noon yet, why was Dante even awake in the first place. He is never up before noon. Nero peeked at the clock on his bedside table, five am damn even he didn't get up this early and he was usually one of the first out of bed back when he lived in Fortuna with Kyrie and Credo.

After another particularly loud crash from downstairs the young hunter decided he may as well investigate, it's not like he will be getting back to sleep any time soon anyway. Not with the older man destroying the place. With a sight he drags himself out of bed and pulls on his jeans and black muscle-shirt, grabbing his hoodie as he made his way out of the spare bedroom.

"Damn, where the hell did I leave them." Dante Grumbled to himself as the kid made his way down the stairs. The shop was a mess, hell it looked as though it had been hit by a hurricane. The lounge was upside down, His old pizza box collection which had acclimated for weeks now where scattered across the room, even the contents of the bar where all over the joint. He was currently emptying the contents of his desk draws onto the lager oak desk.

"Lose something old man?" Nero questioned, raising a brow as he walked down the steps.

"Nope." Dante replied as he tipped out the last of the draws contents. So he wasn't entirely sure of the location of his favorite firearms but he wasn't about to admit it to the kid. Besides they weren't exactly lost, more temporarily misplaced.

"..Really?" The kid wasn't convinced.

Dante glance over at the younger hunter who was now standing arms folded by the pool table. He went back to rummaging through the magazines, papers and bits and pieces on his desk. '_Damn not here either._' He could still feel the kids eyes focused on him. "I'm cleaning kid. You keep nagging me to clean the place once in a while, so I am." He grinned, the kid was glaring now.

"Oh, and how exactly is dumping the contents of everything and spreading it around the room considered cleaning the place." Nero growled. If Dante thought he was going to tidy up this mess he had another thought coming.

"Figured if I lay it all out it would be easier to sort out what's trash." The red clad hunter chuckled as Nero flipped him off before storming off into the kitchen. Man it was amazing how ruffling the kids feathers could change his mood so fast. And besides it's not like he was a total ass, he wasn't just going leave it for the punk to clean by himself. Once he found his babies he'll sweep all his crap back into the draw, kick the boxes into a heap again and.. Score old pizza coupons and they're still valid. See it's not all trash.

Dante groaned dropping into his chair behind the desk as Nero entered the room eating a bowl of cereal. He had looked everywhere and still hadn't found his misplaced pistols. There is no way he could have left them somewhere else, sure he may have overdid it a little with the drinking seeing as the night before is still kind of blank. But come on, surely even drunk he wasn't that careless.

Nero flipped the couch back on its feet and sat down. "How about you try retracing your steps to find what ever it is you haven't lost." The man did looked rather pathetic sulking behind his messy desk.

"Good idea." The older slayer jumped to his feet and headed to the door. "I'm surprised I didn't think of it earlier." He smirked dodging the cushion for his head as he left the building.

Just as the older slayer left the long blonde haired demon huntress walked in.

"Morning." Nero nodded.

Trish raised a slender brow as she carefully mad her way around the littered office. "Where is he off to so early in the morning." She sounded a little surprised but then who wouldn't, it was like what five twenty in the morning and Dante was out of bed.

Nero smiled "learning a life lesson."

x-X-x

It wasn't until Dante had just turned into the street Love Planted was located in that he realised just how early it was. "Damn this place had better not be shut." It had only just hit him that it would most likely be closed at this time. So he was relieved when he heard familiar beats coming from the place. There where actually still quite a few patrons inside. '_Does this place ever close_' he thought to himself as he made his way to the bar.

He made his way past the remaining patrons and over to the bar. "Hey Chuck?" He called over the barkeeper, a large bald man with a well-kept beard. "I've kind of misplaced something last night and.. Well its a bit of a blur. So I was..."

"Ask Tina. She was pouring ya drinks all night." The man cut in before calling over his shoulder. "Oi Tina."

"Yeah?" The tall slender brunette made her way over from the back room. Chuck simply nodded in Dante's direction.

Tina's lips curved into a playful smile as she spotted Dante. "Back again Hun. How can I help."

"Well, babe." Dante casually lent against the bar a grin playing on his features as he spoke. "I seem to be having a bit of trouble remembering last night. I thought perhaps you could fill me in a little."

"Lets see..." Tina hummed twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "You spent the first couple of hours trying to get that Kid... Nemo.. Neo... What ever, to loosen up and have a few drinks he got all pissy and stormed off, you spent the next hour flirting with some bottle blonde tramp till Lady came in and scared her off before demanding money, Finishing off your drink and leaving. Oh and you had a run in with Miss Lily."

Dante grimaced "Please tell me I was still sober at that point."

"Don't worry I got rid of her for you. A few more drinks and my hour break was just about to start and we where about ready to head back to your place for a bit when that obnoxious kid showed up and dragged you off."

"Nero huh?.." Dante pondered under his breath.

Tina lent over the counter making sure the Hunter had a great view down the top of her tight white tank top. "So my shift just ended. Maybe we could continue where we left off." She smiled,

"Thanks babe." Dante spun on his heels, signature red coat fanning out behind him as he did so. Totally oblivious of the brunette as he headed for the door. 'So Nero hauled me home last night.' He thought to himself. That means the kid must know something.

-x-X-x-

Nero was lazing on the couch admiring Blue rose while Trish was lining up her next shot on the pool table as Dante stormed in.

"What the hell kid! Sending me off on some wild goose chase. I went all the way to Love plant just to find out you brought me back here." Dante hissed.

"Uh I don't remember sending you any where, old man. I simply suggested you retrace your steps to find whatever it is you've obviously lost." Nero shot back sitting up and folding his arms over his chest with a huff. "And for your information, you still had everything you left with When I lugged you drunk ass back here. You took off again shortly afterwards anyway and don't bother asking where you went, Because I went to bed. I ain't you baby sitter."

Dante let out a groan as he tried to remember where else he may have gone.

"Lady's" Trish spoke as she pocketed two balls.

"Huh?" The red clad hunter prompted.

"Lady called me around midnight to complain about a curtain drunk nuisance." She explained.

"Just great." Dante whined "If I left them there she'll likely charge me to get them back."

x-X-x

Lady was enjoying a warm shower when her phone stared to ring. "What now." She sighed as she turned off the water and grabbed a towel. She made her way up the hall cursing as she almost stumbled over one of the boots she had tossed on the floor the night before as she made her way to her bed after a long night of demon slaying.

She scanned the caller ID reading devil may cry as she picked up the receiver. "What do you want Dante? I swear to god if this isn't an emerg...Nero?"

"You want me to pretend he was here last night? Wait what do you mean he is on his way over?" Lady demanded. Just great she had hoped to have nice relaxing shower then get back to bed for another hour or two. No chance of that happening now. "Why did you have to drag me into what ever stupid game you have going?...Nothing at all, he doesn't remember a thing?"

Well now things were getting interesting. A wicked smirk made its way to her lips as the kid continued. "And I get to tell him what happened next? As in anything I want?" She grinned several ideas already playing through her head.

x-X-x

"I swear if the she-dragon attempts to rip my head off for interrupting her beauty sleep the kid is sleeping in the basement for the next three years." Dante growled as he prepared to knock on the raven haired woman's apartment door. Then again he didn't see her bike out front so maybe she was out.

The door opened a little quicker than he was expecting as Lady stood in the doorway arms crossed and eyebrow cocked. "You better not have scratched her."

"Huh?" Was all Dante said as he slipped past her grabbing a beer from the mini fridge Lady kept in her lounge room. '_I should really get me one of these._' And flopped onto the sofa.

"My Bike, Dante." Lady clarified "make yourself at home why don't you." She rolled her mismatched eyes as she took a seat across from him.

"Why would I get close enough to your bike to scratch it. You'd probably charge me if I so much as breathed in its direction. I take it this has been added to my bill as well." He joked tilting the half empty bottle towards the huntress.

"Count yourself lucky. I'll let you have that one free of charge." She smirked leaning over and grabbing one herself.

"Generous." Dante huffed.

"And as for the bike you took off with it last night. I assume you brought it back in pristine condition, after all its most likely worth more than that dump you call an office."

And there's the look. The one that says I'll own your soul for all eternity if there's so much as a scratch on that bike. Cause god knows he ain't ever going to finish paying her off in this life time if the bike is added. Hell, he'll be lucky to get out of debt by the time he's ninety as is and that's with the kid helping.

"Yeah...about that." Dante absently scratched the back of his head. "See the thing is... I kind of don't remember much of anything about last night." He gave a nervous chuckle. "And in my defence." He quickly defended himself. "You gave me it in the first place. Me. You let **me** use **your** bike?"

"I didn't exactly give you permission. But I guess I didn't stop you either so I can't charge you theft. Besides who am I to stand in the way of destiny." She shrugged.

This didn't bode well. Lady's not usually one to just shrug things off and let them slide that's his thing. And what did she mean destiny? If only he hadn't drunk so much the night before then maybe today would be a little less of a headache.

"Destiny?" Dante asked cautiously.

Oh this certainly didn't bode well. A Cheshire like grin crept its way across Lady's lips. It was one of the scariest things the red clad hunter had ever witnessed and he instantly regretted asking. Scratch that, knocking on her door in the fist place.

"You had one of the kids rings. You knocked on my door none stop for almost five minutes before barging in and babbling some nonsense about destiny and the urgency of the situation." Dante's feeling of impending doom seemed to intensify as Lady spoke. "Something about finally getting a ring but Nero confiscated your keys and you desperately needed a ride." Lady couldn't keep the laughter from her voice "You where totally off your face. Said it was destiny and you couldn't make her wait any longer. Then you snatched my keys off the side table and took off out the door. And I wasn't about to step in the way of destiny."

Shit. shit, shit, shit. A ring and... Oh shit a ring nothing good ever comes from a ring especially if it involves girls. He only does one night stands, no feelings or gift giving or any other of that complicated bull crap needed. He was obviously working his magic with the hot chick at the bar and the kid messed that up so then who was she and why did he need a ring. He really shouldn't be asking this. "She Who?"

"You sure you want to know?" Lady beamed.

"The lovely Miss Lily." Lady finished before Dante had the chance to answer.

"Miss...W-what?" Dante choked on the last of his drink. This is not happening this can not be happening. No. No, no, no. Not possible.

And so Dante ended up outside the lovely Miss Lily's place just after dark. **The** Miss Lily, with long wavy blonde hair a passion for hot pink mini skirts and stilettos. Miss Lily with ridiculously long eyelashes, broad shoulders and a voice several octaves lower than his own.

"Honey is there a reason you've been standing outside my door the last ten minutes. Not That I'm complaining. Your always welcome to stay if you like." A deep sickly sweet voice broke the hunter from his thoughts. shit had he been standing here ten minutes already.

"I.. Uh..." God he really didn't wont to be here, how the hell did he even know where she lived. "So, uh I was pretty wasted last night and Its a little fuzzy... More like a complete haze and.." Oh god this is awkward. Dante scratched the back of his head as he looked around, avoiding eye contact. '_And where the hell did I park Lady's bike._' He thought to himself not seeing it nearby and it wasn't out front of Devil may cry when he left this morning either.

"I'm sensing you're a little lost Hun." Miss Lily spoke leaning against the door frame. "And it doesn't look as though your here to play. A shame really, but I'm well a wear I'm not your type and a little flirtatious banter after you've had a few is best I'll get. But I have plans to-night and places to be so if you could try to move thing along I'd be much obliged." The burly blonde flicked her hair whilst see watched the white-haired man in front of her.

"R-right." He shook his head. "Yeah so apparently I paid you a visit last night and I had a ring and I'm not even sure.. I didn't leave anything here did I. I lost something kind of important and... God what did I.. I had a ring please tell me we didn't..."

"Ring? Hun you sure you got the right place." Miss Lily cut off his rambling.

Dante just stood there brows furrowed as he tried to figure out what was going on. Miss Lily did seem a little confused at the mention of a ring... So what did he do with it? Thought he thanked god that he hadn't given it to her with some drunken promise. And where the hell was Lady's bike? None of this made sense.

"Hun you alright?" Miss lily asked as Dante stood silently on her front step, a confused look on his face.

Surely if he had left his guns here she would have said something by now. And seriously where the hell was that bike?, he usually parked as close to the entrance as possible when drinking to cut back walking distance. Why didn't he drive it home? Did he stop elsewhere afterwards and if he didn't give the ring to... wait a moment. Dante's eyes widened as his thoughts flew back to the morning when the kid had flipped him the bird, a silver ring each side of his middle finger. Two rings, one of which Dante supposedly had given away. The same kid that had suggested this whole crazy search in the first place...

"Nero." He growled out leaving a rather amused looking Miss Lily in her doorway as he started his bike.

x-X-x

Nero had just finished the last bite of his slice of pizza when Dante kicked open the front doors with a thud. He stood there fuming as he noticed Nero, Lady and Trish were all gathered around the old desk eating pizza his twin guns placed neatly on the corner.

"What the hell kid! You had them this whole freaking time. I've been running around all day looking for my guns. And you had them from the start!?" Dante snapped.

"Ah, yeah. You decided to go happy trigger last night so I confiscated them before you hurt someone." Nero stated as if it were the obvious answer.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me you had them this morning when I was looking for my them." Dante growled in frustration.

"You didn't ask." The younger answered innocently. "Besides if I remember correctly you said you hadn't lost anything. You were cleaning, right?" He gave an innocent smile. As he made his way across the room.

Well damn, the kid had a point. He couldn't really blame the kid after all he had denied that he had misplaced anything in the first place. Nero had him running all over town all day on some wild goose chase and yet he couldn't blame him for any of it. He had done it all himself. The kid hadn't ordered him to go all the way to Love planet, he simply suggested Dante retrace his steps. And it was Trish mentioned Lady's place, then Lady sent to the local tranny. And that was his damned fault for trusting them to not be messing with him in the first place.

He was shocked that Nero had actually managed to pull one over him like that. Sure the guy could be a bit of a spitfire at times but he had always seemed like such an honest, innocent kid.

"By the way." Pausing halfway up the stairs, Nero turned back to the older hunter. "When I confiscated your guns I told you it would be a night to remember. You just snorted and told me I didn't know how to have fun. So next time you plan to get so plastered you wont remember a thing the next day, just remember what happened last time."

And with that he was gone leaving a completely awestruck Dante with the two snickering female hunters.


End file.
